Thunderstorms
by The Lady Massacre
Summary: Sequel to "The hands that were meant to heal" Full Summery inside


Title: Thunderstorm

Author:Twilightprinc3ss666 (cryangelictears on Lj)

Claim: Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

Theme: #4, Inner Demons

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer applies.

Part of the 50 shinobi theme challenge

Summery: She changed since that day. Cold, heartless. Her friends avoided her now, her suitors had left her, even the famous Rock Lee, passionate for his lotus blossom, had abandoned her. The only one who stood by her now, was Uchiha Itachi. ItaSaku

Enjoy-

* * *

The cloud filled sky cracked in such a mighty roar, fearing many children into their homes. It, the rain, had come in a downpour, sending passerby's to some sort of shelter. Not many had dared to stand in an open lightning storm. A quick shot of purple lightning, illuminating the sky with such beauty, it left many curious children in aw as their mothers ordered them inside. Those who walked by the Hokages mountain in such foul weather, or those who simply stared out the windows in the comfort of their homes, could see to human beings standing in such weather. Those who did, couldn't believe it.

The rain, so much like falling needles piercing her skin, calmed her, so much. She stood on the Hokage's mountain, the very mountain where the rightful sixth hokage's, Naruto's, head should be. But it wasn't. Tsunade had no successor. No one to take over the Hokage's role from her. She had begged, pleaded, with Sakura to take it, to be the next Hokage, but she wouldn't. She had so many things to deal with right now.

Like her patients, she owed them her life. She couldn't simply stop caring for them. She told Tsunade this.

_"And yet you have stopped caring for your friends..."_

It was a simple dismissal.

But Sakura agreed with her, to an extent. She had stopped seeing them, but it did not mean she wouldn't give her life to every last one of them. Wether they knew or not was not important. Not to her, any way.

Glancing to her left, she stared into the crimson red eyes of her Anbu captain, and... lover, Uchiha Itachi.  
She didn't understand it at first. Why he had been so kind to her after she lost her friends. Why he stood by her when others couldn't, _or wouldn't._ Why he had watched over her for so many months, why he helped her train, and why he asked if she would be his. And after a year, she still didn't understand.

It was the one thing she wanted to ask of him. But she dared not to. If she knew the answer, she knew things wound change. They always do. So she was content, _somewhat,_ with not knowing.

Itachi stepped forward to grasp her small, scared, and fragile hand in his larger one.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her softly.

She shook her head quickly. It was tradition that she stayed there on the anniversary of their deaths. Three years, and it never changed. She said her goodbyes to her sensei, and teammates like she always did, telling them how much she would miss them in the year to come. To her, this was her new years.

An hour passed. The storm had not ceased. But she was ready to go.

"Come." Itachi told her. Sakura nodded quietly.

Although her tradition hadn't changed, Haruno Sakura herself had. She knew this. Itachi knew this. Despite it, he didn't care. She was who she was. Her clothes was darker, and she was more into black clothing along with crimson red. Her shirt, a simple zip up jacket, similar to Ino Yamanaka's was a deep red, matched with a short black skirt. She no longer wore the shorts underneath as she used to. Instead, underneath her clothes, was fishnet shirt and shorts. Her shoes were so much like Tsunade's except black, Itachi was convinced they used to belong to her shishou.

Itachi must admit, the fishnet was welcomed greatly, seeing as he still was a man. But his favorite change was her hair. It was longer now, much like she had it when she was younger. But instead of it being down, Sakura insisted on a high "pony" tail.

"Itachi." her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Hm?" He knew what was coming. On this very day, it would always rain. They would stand on the Hokage's mountain, and she would cry in the rain, honoring their memories. And then, the fatal question.

"Why did they have to die?"

_"Why did they have to die?"_

It was the very question he could not answer, but wished he did. His brother had died, after all. No one could replace him, like the could not replace the bond the two had shared.

It was the very reason he was with Sakura at the moment. His promise, to Sasuke, was to be there for her when Sasuke nolonger could. Sasuke seemed to have the notion that he would die before Itachi did. He was right. Nevertheless, Itachi had promised Sasuke, because there was very little he wouldn't do for his brother. And his brother wanted his friend, the fragile blossom of team Kakashi, to be protected when the male members of Team Kakashi couldn't.

So he answered meekly, _"I do not know."_

He didn't mean he didn't know why they died. Just, he didn't know how to answer the question.

"I miss them." She whispered to him.

Itachi halted. He was close to losing control. He understood quite well, she missed her teammates, they were very well like familly. He had lost a fair share of teammates and friends to. But she should have moved on. Every shinobi had to. Wether they liked it or not. He had trained her, taught her, how to deal with such emotions the only way he knew how. But that what was so frsuterating about Haruno Sakura.

From the very first time he met her, she had been a tornado of emotions. She tore through everything, acting on feelings first rather then her brain. He was sick of it.

"It was about time you moved on." he told her. He kept his voice calm and controlled. Breathing deeply as to not lose his temper.

"W-what?"

"Do not make me repeat myself Sakura." he warned her, wipping around as to face her. When she stared into his eyes, he knew she saw anger in them.

"They were my friends. My familly, how can I move on?" Sakura demanded of him. Tears fell from her face. The rain never leaving the city, they stood alone in the streets. "Please, tell me Itachi! Tell me how to let go and move on, I'm so tired of being tormented by their memories! I don't want to be like Kakashi-sensei, haunted by the memories of his fromer teammates, Obito and Rin! Tell me!" she screeched like a banshee.

"Grow up. Move on. Let go. Lay their memories to rest. Come to terms with their deaths. Realize it wasn't your fault they died, Sakura!" Itachi yelled in anger. It was unlike him. He cared for Sakura, he really did. But it was getting tiresome. If he hadn't of told her what she needed to hear, not wanted, she would never have peace. And he did not want that for her.

Sakura stared at him in shock. Minutes seemed like hours as they stared into eachothers eyes, forest green meeting pure onyx, until finally, Itachi had broken the gaze and left, leaving her to her thoughts about the rain, and her teammates, and what it meant to die.

-

He found her on the doorstep of their home, huddled in a ball, soaking wet. She looked up at him, and smiled. It was the first time she smiled in three years.

* * *

Just so you know, they have been in a relationship in three years. Not one. Hope I mase it clear enough, and it wasn't a mistake when I put "after a year, and she still didn't know." or something like that.

Another sad one I guess. Sorry!


End file.
